Carey & Daryll: Engaged!
...actually, they're married already.
Carey and Daryll tied the knot in a beautiful outdoor ceremony in Goldsboro on July 26 at Walnut Creek Country Club. But since I'm just a wee bit behind in my blogging courtesy of a fabulously successful Spring wedding season, in Elizabeth World, they're still counting down the days until the Big One. Join me in my fantasy, won't you?
Back in April, we met up at Duke Gardens for what would be the first of two engagement sessions, thanks to a surprise thunderstorm. We'd only gotten about 15 minutes into the session when the sky opened up. Daryll is a true officer and a gentleman to boot, so as we huddled under a shelter hoping to wait out the storm, he very gallantly offered to shield my camera from the rain under his shirt. He's even sweeter with Carey.
Sometimes body language says it all:
Possible my favorite from Shoot #1:
It was June before our schedules meshed so that we could give the ol' E: session thing another shot (no pun intended). The couple decided to change up their outfits a bit and the bright orange, blue and green just kills in this picture. I love it. Plus Carey's eyes are gorgeous.
Sometimes an image just cries out for a little processing fun, like this one. How awesome is the light? I didn't create it, just enhanced it with a little glow and popped the colors a bit. Tres, tres romantique!
I mean, really: how cute are they?
I love the look on Daryll's face in this one.
One of the things that's great about shooting in Duke Gardens in the variety of places to shoot. I'd never even seen this spot before this session and I thought I knew the gardens inside out. I love how sweet Carey and Daryll are together and I love, love, love the pretty light:
Check back soon for a post on Carey's bridal session, including the sweetest little dog in the world, Zoe. Meanwhile, enjoy the E: session slide show!
Adria and Brian: E-Session
I shot Adria and Brian's engagement session at Duke Gardens on a crisp, cool Friday morning in March. Seems like a long time ago, especially now that we're into the dog days of summer. The daffodils were in full bloom. I really like the soft colors in this shot and how how Adria's turquoise sweater and the yellow of the daffodils play off each other. The morning light was just right, too.
North Carolina has been in such a serious drought situation over the past year, so going into the Spring, I was really curious to see how the gardens would fare. Happily, it's still one of the prettiest places in the state. Something different is always in bloom from week to week. The week we shot, the different flowering trees were just amazing.
Adria was a trooper trekking all through the gardens in a skirt and heels. She looked so adorable. She told me Brian had requested specifically that they get a little dressed up for the session -- I love it! These two prove you don't have to dress alike for a session to look amazing! I was really into all the color and the warm light.
But of course, a classic black and white portrait is always in fashion.
Speaking of great light, how sweet is this one?
Adria and Brian were married in June, so stay tuned for the post from their gorgeous wedding and reception at Treyburn Country Club. You can view their slide show here.
Holley + Justin: E-Session
Here's a little gorgeousness to start off your week. Holley and Justin met me at Duke Gardens for their e-session several weeks ago and I found myself thinking every time I looked through the camera: how lucky am I?? They made it so easy. I mean, how adorable can one couple be? Note: Typepad is having an issue with the way images are displayed, so these may look pixel-y (is that even a word?). Hopefully, they'll have it worked out soon...
The ring's the thing...
Duke continues to add to and improve the gardens. It seems every time I'm there, something new presents itself as a great spot for photos. I love this bench and the way it's surrounded by the larger plants and tree...it's like their own private garden. There's a quietness to this shot that I love. Holley's smile says it all.
This shot features details of one of the new bridges installed in the gardens recently. It's so pretty...and steep. You almost have to haul yourself over it by hanging onto the handrail. But it makes a pretty backdrop for a sweet kiss.
During my first meeting with the couple, as I was filling out their contract, Justin made sure that I spelled Holley's name right, not leaving out the "e". Such a simple thing, but full of love. Holley-with-an-e, he's a keeper! I can't wait for the wedding later this month!
To view their slide show, click here.
Christine and Brad: E-Session
Christine and Brad's e-session took place on a beautiful, if chilly, morning out at Duke Gardens. Usually I start my e-sessions at 8:00 a.m. in the hope of catching the last of the pretty morning light. The forecast called for temps in the 30's which is just not conducive to great outdoor images. Call me crazy. We pushed the time back to 10:00 a.m. I was a little concerned about dealing with strong sunlight, but lucky for me, I'd just returned from Corey McNabb's Rockstar Wedding Photography Workshop (or the McWorkshop as it's affectionately known) where the emphasis was on "extreme shooting" (more about the McWorkshop in a soon-to-appear post). I felt really good about utilizing the bright morning sun to get some cool shots. Turns out I shouldn't have worried at all, because these two are lit from within. I'm convinced I could have put them in a tool shed and gotten some great images! Two and a half hours later, we wrapped up what was one of my favorite e-sessions ever. After making use of many of the great locations in the gardens, we headed over to Christine's parents' place, a beautiful historic home near Duke's main campus. I'm looking forward to shooting Christine's bridal portrait there in the Spring and what I'm sure will be an amazing wedding in June. Check out a few of my favorite images below and view their slide show here.
I love this image. Yes, it's artsy-fartsy. But I'm allowed.
Cute pink shoes! Christine has found her Prince Charming -- raise your hand if you think Brad looks like Britain's Prince Harry.
Loved how natural they were having their every move photographed for over two hours...
Maybe my favorite.
Thanks, guys, for an awesome shoot. Can't wait until June!
Alison and Brent: E-Session
I've done nine -- count 'em --- nine engagement sessions in the past eight weeks (not to mention five weddings, two bridal portrait sessions and two family portrait sessions...aaack!!). That's enough to sap anybody's creativity, but what keeps me going are the great couples I get to work with. Sometimes when I'm afraid I can't come up with anything new to shoot, just watching the interaction between a couple can spark new ideas and rev up my energy. That's the way it was shooting Brent and Alison. What a super couple -- fun, easy-going and so into each other! Brent and Alison are planning a May wedding and I am confident it's going to be awesome! Click here to view their slideshow.
Mariah and Robert’s E-Session
I really had a great time with Mariah and Robert during their engagement session. Mariah loves photography and is so enthusiastic. Because I've done so many engagement sessions lately, I've been looking for ways to make them unique for each couple. I went out to the gardens on Friday before our shoot on Saturday and walked the whole place, looking for new spots to use for photos. Then I drove around Durham -- not an easy thing for me when I know so little of this part of the Triangle and gave up the Honda with the navigation system to Frank. I did manage to find some urban locations that I thought would work well in pictures. We spent half of the shoot at Duke Gardens. I'm been amazed lately that there are any green plants left in Duke Gardens because everything's been so dry. After finishing up there, we drove over to the Durham Food Co-Op and Grocery to use the awesome mural painted on the outside of the building as a cool backdrop. There was an abandoned restaurant across the street with a wild paint job, so of course, we had to use that too. Mariah and Robert were such fun to work with. I'm really looking forward to their wedding on November 10, so check back soon for their wedding slideshow! Click here to see their engagement show.
Ashley and Matt’s Engagement Session
I met up with Ashley and Matt on a cool Sunday morning at Duke Gardens for their engagement session. The couple enjoy going on picnics together, so we decided to work that into our shoot. They brought a blanket and wine from Hinnant Family Vineyards, a local winery in Pine Level, NC where they will hold their reception; I supplied the sunflowers and strawberries. (You may notice Matt's holding a bottle of Tar Heel Red in the slideshow, yet it's obvious they're not drinking red wine. We decided to substitute apple juice due to the garden's strict policy against open alcohol containers on the grounds. Plus, tipsy couples are hard to photograph and tend to wander off!)
Ashley's engagement ring is so gorgeous, I really wanted to try to capture it in a unique way. A lot of love and care (not to mention that whole "two months' salary" thing) goes into selecting just the right ring and I think it deserves to be shown off in a cool way. The bowl of strawberries and the single sunflower became natural props for highlighting the ring Matt gave to Ashley.
A little web surfing led me to this factoid about the history of engagement rings in America: in Colonial times, any kind of jewelery was prohibited because of its apparent moral worthlessness. Instead, a more practical thimble was given as a token of love and devotion. Most women, however, after they were married, removed the bottom of their "engagement thimble" to form a type of ring. Even when it's outlawed, we ladies do love our bling. (An engagement thimble...can you imagine showing that off to your girlfriends??)
Here's what Ashley's mom wrote in a sweet email about the photographs:
"The engagement photos are ABSOLUTELY AWESOME - I can hardly wait to see the photos from the wedding and that is still 3 weeks away!! You really were able to capture their love for each other and to show their emotions instead of just having a picture. You created a situation where they were having fun instead of just doing a stiff photo shoot. We are blessed to have you doing her wedding. It means a lot to me to see her "absolutely beaming" during such an important event such as her engagement and wedding. Thank you."
Matt and Ashley are getting married on October 27th, so check back in November for their wedding slide show. In the meantime, they've graciously allowed me to post their engagement slide show here.
Carla and Jamaal – Engagement Session
I met Carla and Jamaal at Duke Gardens for a morning engagement shoot, then we met back up in the afternoon at Second Empire Restaurant and Tavern which is where Jamaal popped the question to his beautiful bride-to-be. It was Jamaal's idea to re-create the proposal and have me shoot it. Let me just say it was truly one of the coolest experiences I've had as a wedding photographer. When I got together with the couple for their consultation, it was obvious that Jamaal was excited about the engagement shoot and asked then if we could re-create the proposal. It seems like a natural fit for an engagement shoot, but I'd never been asked to do it before. Jamaal is obviously a man of great ideas! I contacted Tracy Thorpe, Special Events Coordinator at Second Empire to ask if it would be OK for us to come in for a quick shoot before the restaurant opened for dinner. She graciously said yes -- so a huge "thank you" to Tracy! Second Empire is absolutely gorgeous and is known in the Triangle as the place for a romantic dinner -- what a perfect spot for a proposal. The restaurant also hosts special events like weddings and receptions, so definitely check them out if you're looking for something really special.
Carla and Jamaal met in college and actually went to the same church but it wasn't until she ran into him in the DMV that sparks flew. They plan to marry in early November and I feel so privileged to be their wedding photographer. Click here to view their slide show.
Jackie and Brett
My kids are convinced that Jackie, the bride-to-be in the photo below, has actually stolen Demi Moore's husband away and is going to marry him in October. Jackie says it's not the first time her future husband has been compared to Ashton Kutcher. Lucky for me, I didn't get any Hollywood -style attitude from Brett during the photogenic couple's engagement shoot on a hot Sunday morning in July. I'm looking forward to their wedding this Fall at the Carolina Inn, which is where Frank and I were married nearly 17 years ago.
Speaking of October, check out what the website oldsuperstitions.com says about marrying in that month:
Married when the year is new, he'll be loving, kind & true,
When February birds do mate, You wed nor dread your fate.
If you wed when March winds blow, joy and sorrow both you'll know.
Marry in April when you can, Joy for Maiden & for Man.
Marry in the month of May, and you'll surely rue the day.
Marry when June roses grow, over land and sea you'll go.
Those who in July do wed, must labour for their daily bred.
Whoever wed in August be, many a change is sure to see
Marry in September's shrine, your living will be rich and fine.
If in October you do marry, love will come but riches tarry.
If you wed in bleak November, only joys will come, remember.
When December snows fall fast, marry and true love will last.
Click here to see Jackie and Brett's slideshow.
Lauren and Andrew
I've said it before, but I really love engagement sessions. It's one of my favorite parts of the whole process. It's such a great time for the couple to see how I work and hopefully get comfortable behind the camera. Lauren and Andrew were such fun and so gorgeous! They are set to marry on March 8, 2008 but wanted to go ahead and do their engagement photos this summer, a really great idea, especially if you're planning to do "save the date" cards. They met Frank and me on a hot Sunday afternoon at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens in Durham. Lauren's mom came along and Andrew's parents did, too. They were all such good sports about being dragged all around the gardens in the 96 degree heat! I'm really happy with their images and am looking forward to Lauren's bridal portrait later in the Fall, then the wedding in March. Click here to see their slideshow.
